The man droned on with far too many details for my comfort level, making certain that both the Francesco and the Lugiano family were placed on notice, but this appeared to be the beginning. He was ceremoniously daring us to continue operations on any level.
Fuck him.
“While there will be no additional details given and I will not be answering any questions at this time,” Drummand said, his smile more like a smirk as he faced the main camera, leaning forward, “but I assure you, the indictments will hold.” With that, he walked off the platform.
A cold chill swept down my spine. He’d called my bluff. He’d also just put an end to his world.
One way or another.
I knew in my gut the man was talking directly to me. “We are running out of time, Lorenzo.” I thought about Dick’s actions, the way he glared at Drummand the entire time. Something didn’t smell right about the entire event.
“Yeah. I hear that. I’ll have my capos scour the streets. We will come up with something by tonight. Or heads will roll.”
“Call me when you know something.”
“You bet, brother.” He ended the call and I stood still gawking at the television. Lorenzo had taken a significant chance calling me. If there really were indictments on the horizon, nothing and no one could be trusted at this point. The street vendors would sell their soul if it meant they could stay out of prison. Damn this shit.
“The pictures you showed me with my father and the girls. They’re real?” Caroline asked quietly.
Exhaling, I turned toward her, trying to control my rage. “They are very real. Evidently, he’s running scared. You don’t understand politics in my world yet, but your father just circled several cities in blood. If he causes a war between families or any deaths, there isn’t a location on Earth he can hide.”
“Maybe I understand more than you know, Dominick. Then there has to be more to his timing. The scandal will ruin his career, but why would he purposely decide to take out not one but two kingpin families just to start? Think this through.”
“That is a very good question.” One that needed an answer sooner versus later.
“Maybe there is something even more horrific than drugs and being caught with young girls and you’ve stumbled onto it.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Pretty smart there, lovely painter.”
“Another question. If my father is so terrified of you then why would he risk my life by doing this?” Her voice sounded far away, as if the remnants of her entire world had just been shattered. “Simple fact is that he doesn’t care about me. I don’t think he ever did. I’m just baggage at this point. Hell, maybe you actually did him a favor and just didn’t know it.”
I wasn’t going to sugarcoat any of this. My thoughts drifted to Giordano and his reaction when I’d told him about Margaret. Whoever she was had some vital impact on what was going on. Finding out wasn’t going to be easy. “He might not be capable of love, not the kind the most women need.”
“Are you?” she challenged, her eyes holding the same fire as the first day I’d seen her. Even the light in the kitchen cast a shimmering glow around her.
There was no viable answer, no comforting tone that I could use. Instead, I dialed Bruno’s number. This was going to be one fucking long day.
“Yeah, boss?”
“Get in here. We have some serious work to do. Call Angelo and the other men. I want the shipment shut down now.”
“What’s going on?” Bruno obviously hadn’t been watching the news.
“We’ve been compromised. Scrub everything.” The one thing this could do is drag the drug lord out into the open. Or maybe the entire thing was a hoax, engineered by the Feds with the good senator. I wouldn’t put anything past them.
“Shit. Will do, boss.”
“And make certain no one is talking.”
I didn’t bother waiting for an answer. I could see the look of horror on her face, the uncertainty about what she’d been placed in the middle of. My heart ached in a way I wasn’t used to. She was my kryptonite, my complete weakness; something that Drummand must have seen. Why risk her life? Why now?
Unless he found out about my father’s search for Margaret.
I inched closer, expecting she would move as far away from me as possible. She stood her ground, only her brow furrowing. “I need to ask you a difficult question but it’s important. Did your mother ever tell you about her past, maybe someone she cared for before your father?”
She tensed, shaking her head but the second she dropped her eyes, I could tell she was harboring some kind of a secret. “My mother never talked about her past. In fact, my father never allowed her to.”
“Was there family of any other kind?”
“I have no other family. Nothing. No cousins or uncles. No grandparents. The three of us were an island. My father made certain it was that way. Why are you asking me this? Why? What does this have to do with my father’s accusations, which by the way I’m certain are true. Was it all a lie about my mother? You’ve never given me any evidence. You just expect me to believe you.”
I bit back a retort then took her hand. “Come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“To give you some answers.” Whatever my father was hiding would need to be revealed. He had no other choice. I took her into my office. “We all have secrets, Caroline, and some of them are deadlier than others.” I unlocked the bottom drawer, grabbing the plain manila file from the very bottom. I’d kept a copy of Margaret’s pictures, as well as what limited information I’d found on the woman. She was as much a mystery as the reason Drummand had her locked away.
“What?” she demanded, leaning over the desk.
“I’m not a liar.” I fingered the file before sliding it across the desk. I held my breath as she peered down at my offering, her fingers shaking as she held them aloft.
Inhaling, she finally managed the task, pulling the picture closer to her face.
For a man like me to admit that I’d fallen hard for anyone had always been considered a pathetic attempt at keeping a normal life. What was normal about children being raised in a brutal environment?
As tears formed in her eyes, her face falling, I knew in my heart that I was ready and willing to give up the money, the expensive toys, and all the perks. Fuck the consequences. I wanted that normal life and I would have one with the woman who’d awakened every emotion, allowing me the first taste of real love.
But there was something I needed to do first.